Process of marking fibrous material



i 1931. H. B. LEARY, JR

PROCESS OF MARKTNG FTBROUS MATERIAL Filed June 27, 1950 Patented Apr. 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE may BURTON MY, m, WASHINGTON, DISTRICT 01' column rm 0] I'EBBDUS IATERIAL Application fled lane !7, 1980. Icrill 10. 464,861.

This invention relates to the treatment of fibrous material, such as wood, to form markings of any desired configuration thereon, and has for its principal object the propigments of contrasting color.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a piece or sheet of fibrous material for use in structural or decorative work in which a portion of the fibers adjacent the surface of the material are deformed in a manner not instantly apparent to the observer but which may be made clearly visible by the application of a li htpervious coating, such as varnish, to a 0rd a design distinctive in a pearance.

Further objects and eatures of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a piece of fibrous material to which the process may be applied;

Figure 2 is a corresponding plan view showing the same piece of material after completion of the initial ste of deforming the fibers adjacent the sur ace to provide the desired markings or des1 Figure 3 is a section on t e line 3-3 of Figure 2;

igure 4 is a section corresponding to Figure 3 and illustrating a fart er step 1n the rocess;

Figure 5 is a sectional view showing the 5 material with the light-pervious coating applied to the surface thereof; and

Figure 6 is a plan view of the fimshed piece of material.

When a light-pervious coating, such as no varnish, is applied to the surface of wood or other fibrous material bearing a pronounced grain, the effect of the in is intensified. This intensification of t e grain is probably due in part to the fact that the fibers of the material are somewhat distorted or altered in direction at those points where grain appears, this being particularly true where knots or other irregularities a pear in the surface of the material; t e varnish or other coating is absorbed to a greater extent by reason of the looseness and irregularity of the fibers at such points, the density of the coating being correspondingly increased.

At any rate, it is unquestionably true that the application of varnish to a grained surface serves to emphasize the rain primarily by reason of the distortion or irregularity of the fibers, and I propose to utilize this rinciple for the purpose of providing arti cial graining or other marking of wood and similar fibrous materials by first deforming the fibers adjacent the surface and thereafter applying a coating of varnish or similar material.

I have also found that when fibrous material is indented by the application ofpressure, the fibers are distorted, not only laterally of the indented portion but beneath the indentation so that the removal of the surface to the depth of or slightly below the indentation does not entirely remove the distorted fibers, those fibers beneath the indented portion remaining distorted and being intensified in appearance by the application of varnish thereto.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, it will be observed that the block or piece 10 of material to be treated, illustrated in Figure 1 as having fibers extending generally in the same direction, is subjected to pressure at various points on the surface to depress or indent portions of the surface in themanner shown in Figure 2. These indented portions may assume any desired form, the indentations 12 being effected for the purpose of obtaining a pro nounced grain effect and the indentations indicated at 13 comprising a design such 'of the depressed or. indented portion but also beneath the indented portion, these might be desirable for decorative or advertising purposes.

Figure 3 is a. sectidnal view through the piece of material and illustrates the manner in which the indentations are produced and the probable manner of distortion of the fibers. The rounded indentations in-. tended to give the appearance of pronounced grain are preferably prpduced by any instrument having a blunt or rounded head adapted to be driven into the surface. In lieu of such an instrument, the desired indentations may be produced by driving or firing a small round shot such as is commonly used in air rifles into the surface of the material. The shape of the instrument may also be so chosen as to produce a design having extendedcurved or straight lines as distinguished from the point indentations such as are suitable to represent grain in the material. It will be appreciated "that the indentations might be produced by means of a tool having a design such as represented at 13 produced in its entirety in relief on the face thereof and adapted to be stamped or driven into the surface of the material.

It will be observed that the fibers of the material are distorted not only on the sides fibers being iven a permanent set by the application- 0 pressure or force through the medium of the indenting tool.

Figure4 is a sectional view illustrating a further step in the process, a portion of the surface of the material having been re moved to the depth of the indentations or slightly beneath the bottom of the indented portions to provide a smooth surface. In the event that the process is applied to wood, the surface may be readil removed by planing or abrading to the desired depth, and the appearance ofthe -material is substantially that illustrated in Figure 1, the deformation of the fibers at certain points on the surface being not immediately apparent to the observer.

A coatin of light-pervious material is now applie to the smooth surface, any conventional varnish being found suitable for the purpose, and as pointed out above, the distorted fibers are intensified in appearance so that the indented portions illustrated in .Figure2are plainly reproduced and appear somewhat darker than the surrounding untreated surface of the material. The li htpervious coating is indicated at 16 in igure 5 in which the deformation of the fibers immediately beneath the coating at certain ing as a natural formation of the fibrous material as distinguished from the more conventional printed orim ressed markings. The finished surface is smooth and uninterrupted and the markings are permanent and can only be removed b removing the varnish and the partially eformed surface ofthe material.

It will be appreciated that the depth to which the surface of the material is removed will depend' largely on the nature of the material and the effect which it is desired to produce. For instance, in the treatment of some woods it is found that removal of the surface only to the depth of the depression orindentation is insuflicient marking or design may be obtained, since the extent of distortion of the fibers is greatest near the surface and decreases toward the interior of the material.

It is also obvious that a novel effect may be obtained by distorting the fibers over the entire surface or over a considerable portion of the surface. If'the fibers over the entire surface of the material are distorted, the

appearance of the finished material will depend on the uniformity of distortion of the fibers and the depth to which the distorted fibers are removed prior to the application of the varnish.

While I have illustrated a representation of grain in the material by the production of isolated markin s, it will be apparent that the applied form. For instance, indentations in the shape of broken, curved, or wavy lines such as frequentl appear in highly grained woods may e produced and striking natural effects closely approximating the original wood grain may be obtained.

Such further alterations and modifications of the process described herein are contemplated as fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A process of treating fibrous material to produce markings thereon, which comprises indenting the surface of the material, removinglthe surface to a depth sufiicient to expose t e distorted fiber beneath the inesign may assume any dentation, and applying a light-pervious coating to the resulting surface.

2. A process of treating fibrous material to produce markings thereon, which comprises applying pressure to produce indentation of the surface of the material, removing the surface to a depth suflicient to expose the distorted fiber beneath the indentation, and applying a light-pervious varnish to the surface thus formed.

3. A process of treating fibrous material to produce markings thereon, which comprises distorting' the fibers of the material, removin the surface of the material to the depth 0 apparent distortion, and coating the surface thus formed with a light-pervious varnish.

4. A process of treating wood to produce the effect of grain thereon, which comprises indenting the surface of the wood, planning the surface sufiiciently to remove the indented portion without removing all of the distorted fiber beneath the indentation, and coating the surface thus formed with a trans arent varnish.

5. s an article of manufacture, a piece of wood having a smooth fiat surface coated with a varnish, portions of the fibers of the wood adjacent said surface being distorted to give the appearance of markings when viewed through the varnish.

6. As an article of manufacture, a piece of wood having a smooth flat surface coated with a varnish, the fibers of the wood immediately beneath the varnish coating being distorted to alter the appearance of the varnished surface.

7. A process of treatin fibrous material which consists in distortlng the fibers adjacent the surface, removing such portion of the fibers as are distorted to such an extent as to swell on the application of liquid thereto, and applying a liquid coating to the surface.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

HARRY BURTON LEARY, J R. 

